In 1972 the first group of adventurous Ithaca College students journeyed to England. Today the Ithaca College London Center - among the longest-standing study abroad programs in London - welcomes students from colleges and universities throughout the United States and around the world. The London Center staff and faculty have years of experience helping students negotiate the ins and outs of life in Great Britain.

Ithaca's base in London is an elegant restored Victorian house in the heart of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The London Center houses classrooms, a small library, and a comfortable common lounge, as well as 2 computer labs with internet access and wireless internet access for laptop users. Our site is an ideal jumping-off point for exploring London, just a 3 minute walk to the nearest tube station. The Victoria & Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, and the famous department store Harrods are all within walking distance.

Whether your interest lies in medieval music or the European Union, Hamlet or BBC News 24, Oscar Wilde or Zadie Smith, London offers a wealth of opportunities. Classroom learning comes alive as you experience British life and culture firsthand. You will explore abbeys and cathedrals, visit the neighborhoods where John Keats and Virginia Woolf once lived, sample British economics while doing an internship at the London office of a mulitnational corporation. Or you may read Charles Dickens and prowl the back alleys where the "artful dodger" and Oliver Twist once roamed.

As a student at the London Center, you can combine an American course of undergraduate study with an array of exciting international experiences. Course offerings range from business and communications to the fine arts, humanities and social sciences. Internship placements are available to students seeking international work experience and a more comprehensive immersion into British culture. No matter what your personal and academic interests, the Ithaca College London Center delivers stimulating and rewarding opportunities.

London Center Mission and Vision

The London Center Vision and Mission derive from the Vision and Mission of Ithaca College and specifically address the goals of the IC20/20 Strategic Plan that pertain to experiential learning. The London Center is an active student-centered environment that fosters the development of the intellect, creativity, and character in an international context.

With respect to the Institutional Mission, the London Center connects theory and practice by offering experiences that extend beyond the classroom and point to the responsibilities of citizenship and service in the global community. The London Center seeks to expand our students’ vision of themselves as engaged members of the global community through its roster of courses, professional (and cultural) internships, and co-/extra-curricular activities that use London as the classroom. In addition, the Center fosters independence, self- confidence, and an awareness of diversity among its students.

Check out what two students have to say about their London Center experience.